Course Syllabus

KIN74, Yoga Philosophy, Lifestyle, and Ethics
Section 1553 - Course Syllabus

Course Description

Students will examine yoga philosophies and traditional texts, the history of yoga, yoga lifestyle, yoga's relationship with Ayurveda, and ethics for yoga practitioners and teachers involving code of conduct, scope of practice, and equity in yoga. Course Outline of Record

Student Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

Class Meetings

Tuesdays, 5-6:30pm on Zoom.

Zoom link: https://santarosa-edu.zoom.us/j/87983133037?pwd=L6JZ2ee7sYbL9e6NfJ6e9sbzeDqDHq.1

Passcode: KIN74

Meeting ID: 879 8313 3037

Instructor Contact

Andrea ("ANN-dree-uh") Thomas

Email: athomas@santarosa.edu 

Preferred Contact: Canvas Inbox message or Email

Office Hours: Available by appointment on Zoom or phone

I respond to emails Monday - Friday, by the next weekday. Note that I receive a high volume of email. If you have not heard from me within that time frame I may have unintentionally missed your message, so please send a follow-up. 

Course Web Site

Students will use the KIN74 Canvas course web site for assignment instructions, submitting assignments, discussion forums, accessing supplemental course materials, taking the exam, and viewing grades.

Textbooks (Required)

1. "Bhagavad Gita A New Translation" by Mitchell     ISBN: 9780609810347
2. "The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali" by Satchidananda     ISBN: 9781938477072
3. "The Yamas & Niyamas" by Adele     ISBN: 9780974470641

You can locate and order textbooks online via the SRJC Bookstore. For "Program" in the textbook search menu, select Santa Rosa. Note that if you want to pick your books up in Petaluma, you need to order them from the Petaluma Bookstore website.

Required Software

You will need the following software for this course. 

• Adobe Reader
• Open Office
• Zoom Workplace

Important Dates

Dropping the Class

If you decide to discontinue this course, it is your responsibility to officially drop it to avoid getting no refund (after 10% of course length), a W symbol (after 20%), or a grade (after 60%). Also, for several consecutive, unexplained absences, the instructor may drop a student.

Instructor Announcements and Canvas Notifications

The instructor will post announcements on the “Instructor Announcements” page in Canvas throughout the semester. Canvas notifies students according to their preferred Notification Preferences as soon as the instructor creates an Announcement. 

Use and save this link to log into the online class: https://canvas.santarosa.edu
Use your SRJC portal ID and passcode. 

How to Set Your Notification Preferences for This Class:
In order to check your notification settings; please click on “Account” in the upper left hand corner when you are logged into Canvas, then click on “notifications.”  If you are logged into Canvas this link should take you straight to the page:
https://canvas.santarosa.edu/profile/communication

I highly recommend that you update your user settings to make sure that you receive the following right away. Click the check mark icon (“notify me right away”) for:
1) Announcement: this is how I will communicate with the entire class 
2) Submission comment: this is how I will give you personal feedback on your assignments 
3) Conversation message: this is where I send students private messages through Canvas 

Feel free to change the settings on any others based on your personal preferences. 

Attendance and Participation

Students who fail to attend the first class (face-to-face and synchronous web conferencing courses) or do not log in to an online class after the second day of the semester will be dropped from the class. 

Yoga Alliance requires teacher trainees enrolled in any Registered Yoga School course to complete established contact hours in order to be eligible for registry. KIN74 and SRJC’s Yoga 200-Hour Teacher Training Certificate program attendance grading is required to align with Yoga Alliance requirements so program graduates are eligible to register as RYT 200s, and in order for the program to remain in good standing as a Registered Yoga School (RYS - 200).

Each student begins KINES 74 with 100 attendance points. Missing a full class without making up the time following course make-up procedures would result in a 50 point reduction in this score. Missing two (2) classes without making up the time following course make-up procedures earns a 0 grade in participation. Arriving late or leaving early will also result in loss of points:

Arrive 1-15 minutes late = 5 points, 16-30 minutes = 10 points, 31-45 minutes late = 15 points, 45-60 minutes late = 20 points, etc. The same standards apply for leaving class early.

Due to Yoga Alliance standards, attendance is critical to success in the class and program. An absence, for any and all reasons, is an absence. There are not “excused” or “unexcused” absences.” In all circumstances, not being present during scheduled class time means losing attendance points. Zoom automatically logs and reports when a user joins and leaves the meeting. If you must arrive late or leave early on a rare occasion, please notify the instructor before class begins.

Participation consists of attending class, participating in the entire class period, and participating in accordance with KIN74 and SRJC standards of conduct. Arriving late, leaving early, giving minimal effort or failing to observe conduct standards will negatively affect this portion of the grade. To receive full credit for attendance and participation: participate in the entire class, arrive on time and stay the entire class period.

Absence Make-Up Policy

Students are encouraged to attend the live, synchronous KIN74 Zoom classes whenever possible.  

Zoom classes will be recorded in Speaker view, with the instructor only showing on camera. Class recordings will linked on the Canvas course site no later than the day after class. 

Students who miss part or all of a class can earn back Attendance and Participation points by watching the posted recording of missed class time, responding to questions and completing practical activities. Canvas logs all user activity in the course as documentation. 

Make-up attendance assignments are due before the next class meeting. 

Web Conferencing (Zoom) Participation Expectations

If you are enrolled in a class that meets on Zoom, you are expected to:

1. Be on time to class. Log on a few minutes before class begins.

2. Display your full name (first and last name).

3. Set up a designated work space. Ensure that your work space is quiet, clean, and has a school appropriate background, or use a suitable virtual background. Make sure your lighting is bright enough for others to see you.

4. Be prepared for class. Have access to class materials such as textbooks, paper, pencil, etc. Charge your computer/device if needed.

5. Dress appropriately for class (as if you were coming to campus).

6. Turn your camera on unless otherwise instructed. Mute yourself when you are not speaking unless otherwise instructed. This will reduce background noise.

8. Don’t multitask. Stay focused, take notes, and participate in class.

9. Chat Responsibility. Use the chat feature to ask questions. Avoid side conversations. Remember that chats, including one-on-one, are public and may be recorded or archived.

Late Assignments Policy

All assignments are due at 11:55pm PST on the due date. A one-day late submission will receive a 20% grade penalty. Submissions more than one day late are not accepted without prior arrangement, made before the original due date. 

Exams

There will be a comprehensive online final exam in KIN74. Material comes from the textbooks, class lectures and supplemental materials. The exam is timed, with notes and books permitted during the exam. There is no late grace period for the final exam. If the exam due date is missed, a zero will be recorded as the score. It is the student's responsibility to take the online exam by the due date. 

Grading Policy

Visit the “Grades” in Canvas to keep track of your grades. I grade once a week and post grades and comments on the online Canvas gradebook.

Grades will be assigned as follows:

Discussions - 15 @10 points each = 150 possible points

Attendance and Participation         = 100 possible points

Workshop Assignment                    = 30 possible points

Presentation                                     = 20 possible points

Final Exam                                        = 50 possible points

Total                                                     = 350 points

A	90%	315 points or more
B	80%	280 to   314.9 points
C	70%	245 to   279.9 points
D	60%	210 to   244.9 points

 

Standards of Conduct - SRJC

Students who register in SRJC classes are required to abide by the SRJC Student Conduct Standards. Violation of the Standards is basis for referral to the Vice President of Student Services or dismissal from class or from the College. See the Student Code of Conduct page.

Collaborating on or copying of tests or homework in whole or in part will be considered an act of academic dishonesty and result in a grade of 0 for that test or assignment. I encourage students to share information and ideas, but not their work. See these links on Plagiarism:
SRJC Writing Center Lessons on avoiding plagiarism
SRJC's policy on Academic Integrity

Right to Privacy

All students have the right to learn freely and safely in both the physical classroom and the virtual classroom. Students may not video, record, or share course contents, materials, recordings, or any other information containing representations of their classmates or instructor in writing, text, image, or video. This includes emails between students, posts to discussion boards, video threads containing signed dialogue, and any other media that contain the efforts of students who engage with the course (See Acts of Misconduct C., D., and E). This especially applies to Zoom cloud recordings which are only stored on a temporary basis for the specific purpose of content review as deemed to be of benefit for all those enrolled in this course, and which are only available in TechConnect Zoom in Canvas. Students also may not discuss the performance of their classmates outside of the classroom. Violations of student privacy are subject to disciplinary action with specifics to be handled in accordance with the appropriate SRJC policies and procedures.

Other Important Policies and Practices

Avoid Plagiarism Like the, er, Plague

Although most students have likely heard about plagiarism during their years of schooling, it still is prevalent, even in higher education.

The video below reviews what plagiarism is and how not to do it.

Plagiarism: How to avoid it

Netiquette, or Why Is It Harder to Be Polite Online?

Netiquette refers to using common courtesy in online communication. All members of the class are expected to follow netiquette in all course communications. Use these guidelines:

• Use capital letters sparingly. THEY LOOK LIKE SHOUTING.
• Forward emails only with a writer's permission.
• Be considerate of others' feelings and use language carefully.
• Cite all quotations, references, and sources (otherwise, it is plagiarism).
• Use humor, but use it carefully. It is hard to "read" tone; sometimes humor can be misread as criticism or personal attack. Feel free to use emoticons like :) for a smiley face to let others know you are being humorous.
• Use complete sentences and standard English grammar to compose posts. Write in proper paragraphs. Review work before submitting it.
• Text speak, such as "ur" for "your" or "ru" for "are you" etc., is only acceptable when texting.

Special Needs

Students with disabilities who believe they need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Disability Resources (527-4278), as soon as possible to better ensure such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.